LEARNING DAILY

Luke 17:20-21, Once having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied. The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.

During some cleaning and getting rid of stuff I have kept for years, I found some notes for a Sunday School class I had taught and some other notes about the lives of the disciples. The notes I had used was from the book Twelve Ordinary Men written by Hohn MacArthur from an article sent to me years ago by my sister. I thought it might be interesting to look into the lives of the disciples and see what we might be able to learn from their lives that we could apply to our lives. They were called by Jesus to walk with Him just as we are each called to walk a narrow way with Him.

First, we need to begin with a definition of what a disciple is. To be simple can we agree that it is one who is a follower and a student of Jesus Christ. MacArthur said that Jesus chose the twelve disciples in order to teach them the Scriptures and what they meant. Yes, they had been taught and memorized the Torah; Jesus taught them what the Scriptures meant and how to live them. Jesus taught these men how to pray, how to forgive, how to serve one another, how to be transformed by them, and the importance of imitating or becoming like Him.

MacArthur wrote that these men were ordinary men; they were human, like you and me. As these men are studied, that is important to remember. Often, they did not understand what Jesus was teaching them. “They were not elite…they were Galilean, the lower class, the rural, the uneducated. God needed ordinary people He could save, sanctify, and then transform from unqualified into instruments He could use. The twelve are like us” (MacArthur).

There are important aspects to consider when thinking about discipleship. The first is obvious but must be considered. To be a disciple one must acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God, sent to be crucified and to rise again – He must be accepted as Savior and Redeemer (John 3:16). That is the first step as the Believer must then walk the narrow way in faith and obedience; “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). As the Believer walks the narrow way, he/she is transformed, changed into the image of Jesus Christ; “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). This is a supernatural transformation that Believers demonstrate through the change in their lifestyles.

Jesus said that His discipleship involves self-denial, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me’ (Luke 9:23). Each day, the disciple must decide to pick up his cross and follow Jesus. This statement is not to be misunderstood! Deciding to follow Jesus is a one-time decision; however, the daily details of life are a continual choice to follow and be obedient to the Word of God. Do you see the difference? Those day-to-day choices are included as Believer’s walk the narrow way – a process that is often made difficult by pride, worldly desires, faith, and power when tempted. But be encouraged, continually submitting to Jesus and His Word, making Him the priority of your life on a consistent basis will only help in your walk with Him. No, you won’t be perfect, learning from your mistakes is part of the process of becoming Christ-like. “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Let me end this page of the blog today with a few verses of encouragement that mark the lives of the disciples of Jesus. John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” This love is more than an emotion; it is sacrificial love that shows the love of Jesus toward all people.

John 8:31-32, “If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Read/study. Meditate on God’s Word; it is God’s ultimate authority and needs to be diligently studied and applied in the Believer’s life.

 John 15:8, “This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourself to be My disciples.” Others will see the changes in you as you walk the narrow way, being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, you may be the only Bible others may read.